With the holiday season well underway, people from all over the world are rushing to stores to get their holiday shopping done.
For those that are interested in health and wellness, here are five books by Black authors about topics such as mental health and childbirth to gift this holiday season.
- I’m Telling the Truth But I’m Lying: Written by Bassey Ikpi, the book discusses her mental health and stories of her diagnosis with bipolar as well as anxiety. Praised by Good Housekeeping, Bustle and Publishers Weekly, I’m Telling the Truth But I’m Lying follows the poet and artist from her childhood in Nigeria to her teenage years in Oklahoma. The author also talks about her time with HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and her mental health during it.
- Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy, and Childbirth: Published in 2015 and edited by Julia Chinyere Oparah and Alicia D. Bonaparte, this book discusses the state of maternal health care for Black women in the U.S. Birthing Justice: Black Women, Pregnancy, and Childbirth does a deep dive into the way they’re “coerced and disempowered.”
- Under the Skin: The Hidden Toll of Racism on American Lives and on the Health of Our Nation: Written by acclaimed journalist Linda Villarosa, Under the Skin focuses on racism in healthcare. Heralded by Oprah Daily and chosen as one of the New York Times’ Top Ten Books of the Year, her novel discusses the link between discrimination and the lower mortality rates amongst Black Americans. To supplement her own research, Villarosa includes stories of those who were victims of the injustices of the healthcare system.
- The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health: Written by psychologist Dr. Rheeda Walker, The Unapologetic Guide to Black Mental Health discusses the mental health of Black Americans in a modern setting. The book informs readers on how to overcome being boxed in by stigmas and how to help identify any mental health struggles amongst yourself as well as others. Dr. Walker also helps readers learn how to balance emotions and navigate racial discrimination in the health world.
- Self-Care for Black Women: Written by Oludara Adeeyo, Self-Care for Black Women helps Black women deal with any microaggressions they have to deal with throughout the day. To do so, the author has compiled over 150 exercises for readers to use and practice self-care. The exercises include things like listing which spaces one considers as safe spaces and creating a schedule for a stress-free day, amongst others.
